Last Breath
by Sachiyo Yumi
Summary: How long can you hold your breath? As Aomine gets heavily involved with cracking cases that could lead to the elimination of a certain terrorist group, while worrying about Kise at the same time, it was only a matter of time before both of them began to drift apart; no longer sharing the same bonds, and gets cruelly torn apart by fate just as they were about to reconcile. Future!AU
1. first breath

A/N: Yumi strikes again! *slapped* _yesincaseyoudidn'tknowi'm4nimenutOTL_

So I was having a very... pleasant conversation with Kei on twitter and shE TOTALLY DROVE THIS ANGST HC IN MY HEAD ohmygod

This fic is also heavily inspired by September 11 attacks (You see where we're going now?) This is something like a development of a short drabble I wrote on tumblr; I hope you like it! ^^

* * *

 **Last Breath (Aomine x Kise)**

 **Part 1 - _first breath_**

* * *

All over the streets of Japan, the lights blared on, blazing red and blue, as the police on duty continuously ushered people to keep themselves at bay and stay vigilant. At that point of time, crime rate had become even higher worldwide, and it did not help matters that terrorist attacks were on the rise as well. To make matters worse, a new name, the Fukuda Sōgō, has been rapidly rising in power and was most notorious for its extremely violent measures and the atrocities it had committed, all in an effort to gain world recognition after claiming credit that it was them who had 'cleansed their victims of their wrongdoings'. They had bombed countless places and carried out umpteen shootouts as well, forcefully claiming the lives of millions.

Videos of their victims' ruthless murders were taken and broadcasted to the world for all to see, while others watched and cowered in fear at the bloody sight. The authorities had gathered countless times, discussing strategies to counter Fukuda Sougou, but none of them had seemed to work. In an attempt to raise the sense of vigilance within people, the authorities had decided to dispatch the police force to work overtime whenever possible, ensuring the safety of the civilians in their respective countries while coming up with more counteractive measures against the terrorism acts...

...

Or that was what Aomine had remembered what his sergeant had lectured the entire section about, day and night.

"What a drag..."

With a heavy sigh, he flopped his lethargic self onto the sofa, having been dragged down by the heavy burdens and responsibilities of his work. The sky was so dark outside, with shades of the orange sunrise briefly surfacing, he wasn't even sure what time it already was. His eyes hurt like hell, and his entire body wasn't doing so well, either.

It wasn't as if he was working overtime out of his own free will. Rather, he himself had requested to be put in as many shifts as possible so as to have more overtime salary bonus at the end of the month. That day was the last, and he had finally saved up money for something...

"... Aominecchi?"

The voice he had longed to hear for the longest time during his most arduous moments at the station rang in his ears. Barely keeping himself awake, the policeman turned his head just in time to see a blonde standing right before his eyes.

"Ah, Kise," he mumbled, voice chained down by his exhaustion. "What's up? Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"More like _you_ should be the one sleeping, Aominecchi!" Kise huffed as he put his hands on his waist, pouting. "It's already five in the morning and I just woke up to get ready for work!" Upon closer inspection, Aomine could barely see Kise dressed in his pilot uniform; white blouse, black pants, with his black tie loosely hanging around his neck.

Kise reached forward and on the count of three, he pulled the exhausted officer up and lifted his arm over his shoulder. "Here, I'll help you to the bedroom, can you manage?"

"Don't bother, Kise," the latter groaned as his body slumped against the pilot's, the energy having been sapped from him. "I've gotta get up in two hours anyway, it's not worth it." His eyes were closing, and he was fighting to keep himself awake for as long as possible, but it was almost impossible to resist the temptations of the soft pillows that awaited him in the bedroom.

"Then you should be sleeping as much as you can! _This'll ruin your skin too, y'know?!_ "

"Dammit, I'm not so obsessive over my skin like you with your goddamned skincare products, Kise!"

"It's not good for your health too! _I insist!_ "

"... Fine," Aomine finally relented. To be honest, he would have chosen to continue bickering with the blonde, but the fatigue was slowly overtaking him, and he could not think straight anymore. To continue would be a foolish decision. Who knows what he could say when he was completely absent-minded?

Kise beamed. "There we go! See, it wasn't that hard, right? Now all we have to do... to..."

Kise's voice began to fade out as Aomine slowly, but surely succumbed to the comfort of the darkness, the warmth of his lover embracing him gently and soothing him to sleep. The exhaustion that had piled up over the past month was finally taking its huge toll on his body, and all he wanted to do now was nothing but sleep it off, ready himself for a new day, and the day where he would finally have enough money for the one thing that has been forcing him to be frugal since forever.

* * *

"Oi, Kise!"

The all-too familiar voice of his senior, Kasamatsu, shrilled into his ear, causing the daydreaming blonde to jerk up from his seat.

"Y-Yes, Kasamatsu-senpai?!"

"Geez, what's gone into you? You're overreacting, you idiot." Kasamatsu tapped the clipboard he held in his hand on the blonde's head a few times. "Have you forgotten? We have to get to the meeting room now." He then leant forward and peered at the table. "My, you're already done with the report? That's unusual."

Kise forced out a bitter smile. "Senpai, you think too little of me."

"Ahh, whatever. Hurry up, Takeuchi-san's waiting for us inside. Said that he'd give us a talk on Fukuda Sōgō." At the mention of the name, Kise's breath hitched. He shot a smile at his senior.

"Okay, I'll be there."

"Grab a snack while you're at it. We're on flight duty for Thailand today. We're leaving straight after the gathering."

As Kasamatsu left the office for the meeting room, Kise fingered the stack of papers by his desk. On his face was a troubled look, and his other hand was clenched into a tight ball.

 _Fukuda Sōgō._

A name which has been rising rapidly in power since the past few months. Countless terrorism cases, each and every one related to this name, have been flooding the police reports ever since its infamous debut in the unwindable crime-themed drama play. Hijacking planes, suicide bombing, gassing of victims, you name it, they'd done it. Videos of violent, merciless murders of innocent lives were streamed online for the internet world to see and to learn to fear them. They were so greatly feared to the point of being internationally known as one of the biggest world's threats. Kise briefly remembered the first time he had been surfing online, and was immediately scarred with the horrific scenes that flickered on his screens. Aomine had barged into the scene, holding him and telling him everything would be alright, and that 'nothing would happen to them because they weren't so unlucky'.

Aomine had told him that it was because of the trouble Fukuda Sōgō was causing that he was working overtime much more often than before. He mentioned, the sooner they could crack down the whereabouts of these particular group of terrorists, the faster Japan could be at peace once more, and the quicker their worries could be put at rest.

"But what if _we_ were the ones being caught up in it?"

He shuddered, before beginning to slap his cheeks in an attempt to wake himself up. This should not be the most of his problems! There must be something else to worry about, like Aomine and his bad tendencies! Like, coming back home so late at night... heck, what if he was philandering behind his back?!

The intercom buzzed, and then...

 _"KISEEEE! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!"_

Startled, the blonde frantically scooped up the report on his desk and flew out of the room in a hurry. Right now he should be rushing to the meeting room to gain new information of Fukuda Sōgō, not dilly-dallying while thinking about Aomine here! And then, later on, he'll be up and away on his plane, shipping people off to the coastal area where the scenery was of top quality, and then watch the passengers leave the plane with a smile on their faces.

"Coming!"

He had Aomine with him. The love of his life.

He had sworn to protect him when they had gotten together, even if it would cost him his life. With that kind of resolve...

 _... What could possibly go wrong?_

* * *

"Aomine, you're going to drill a hole inside the wall soon if you keep shooting the centre of the target with such accuracy. It's scary."

Aomine glanced at the newcomer with a bored look as he set his gun down on the wooden stand. He pulled off his goggles and turned to face an immensely impressed Imayoshi.

"I don't recall you having a voice so piercing to the point that I could hear you during shooting practice," he commented dryly as he stepped out of the cubicle. "And since when have I missed a shot? You underestimate me, four eyes."

"You say that, but the mess you make while shooting at criminals says otherwise."

"Come on, it's not like I didn't get them, right?" Aomine placed a hand to his neck, grumbling at the ache that had snugly rested itself in his sore muscles. Damn that Kise for not waking him up! To think that he still had the audacity to contact the higher-ups and tell them he would be oversleeping! "I still do my job _prim and proper_ , Imayoshi. There's a reason why I have more recognition that you," he snickered with sheer mock.

"I'd prefer you striking out the ' _prim and proper_ ' part, thank you very much."

"Who cares about what you think?"

"That hurts, Aomine," Imayoshi replied in a sarcastic way. "Surely you could reduce the harshness in your voice? After all, it's the _head sergeant_ you're talking to right now."

"Whatever." The tanned male turned towards the door. "If you'd excuse me, I have some paperwork to do."

"Go ahead. I don't mind even if you wreck havoc in the station. I'm pretty sure the superintendent wouldn't like the sight, though..."

Ignoring Imayoshi's words, Aomine trudged out of the room. The aftereffects of sleeping in were kicking in, and the tiredness was actually overshadowing his mind. Just as he was thinking of hanging out at the rooftop to take his everyday snooze, he was then attacked by Momoi, secretary of the superintendent. Frantically, she threw her arms around his own and tried to fling him towards the wall, of course with massive failure.

Or at least, that was what it seemed to Aomine.

He forcibly pulled his arm away, wincing in slight pain at the earlier sudden movement.

"Satsuki, what the hell?! That hurt!"

"Dai-chan!" she exclaimed. She was bouncing up and down, like how she usually would, but the grim expression on her face said otherwise. "You have to hurry! Harasawa-san's calling all of us in for an emergency meeting!"

"To where? What can be more important than my beauty sleep? Jeez, and don't go trying to drag me around and pull my arm off in the process. You're going to pay for my medical expenses otherwise." He glared at her in annoyance. " _And_ I told you to _stop_ calling me that around the station!"

"That doesn't matter!" she shrieked, almost hysterically. He then noticed, her complexion was much more paler than usual, and her eyes were widened to the extent that it might bulge out of her sockets. In his entire life, Aomine had never seen Momoi in such a state.

 _Or could it be..._

"... That kindergarten teacher?" he frowned in annoyance. Momoi always had a thing for this guy ever since he had given her a popsicle stick on their chanced encounter just outside the convenience store next to the station. Of all things, he gave her the most luckiest thing in the entire store; the popsicle stick labelled ' _Winner_ '.

"No! Not Tetsu-kun!" she breathed frantically as she tried to calm herself down. "He's got nothing to do with this!" The flustered expression on her face gradually faded away as she caught her breath. "It's... it's..."

Aomine's eyes widened in immense shock at the words that left her mouth. Immediately, he was wide awake.

"... It's Fukuda Sōgō... Another video's up."

* * *

Aomine stared at the screen in muted horror as he watched the man on the monitor smirk maniacally while controlling the crane's jib, lowering a cage into a swimming pool. Then, the camera view was shifted to underwater, where, to the Tōō's police squad's horror, three men wearing orange jumpsuits clawed against the cage's bars, as if they were begging to be let out. Their heads were also covered by a black trash bag, so in no time at all, all three had stopped struggling and floated limply inside the water, before another person was thrown into the water. The screen exploded in a fiery mix of orange and red, before static noise overtook the system and plunged the entire video into a black screen.

Tōō's superintendent Harasawa switched the lights back on, watching the shocked expressions of the officers with silent keen eyes. He made no movements, but the troubled creases were evident on his face.

"... And that's another one of their videos," he concluded with a sigh. "I think I don't have to tell you what to do." He then slammed his palm on the table before him, declaring loudly, "Hunt down any remaining traces of Fukuda Sōgō. Their most recent tactic is suicide bombing, as you can see from their uploaded footages. This could mean that their numbers might have dwindled quite a bit. If we could just get a hold of who's commanding them, then we might just hit the jackpot."

Wakamatsu immediately leapt on his feet. "Why should we keep searching for clues?! Can't we just narrow down the list of areas they've already attacked and predict where they'll hit next?!"

"Idiot, do you think things would be that easy?" Imayoshi leant his chair backwards, supporting himself with an empty table just behind him. "There are 195 countries in the world, and let's not even talk about states and regions. Do you think with such a large number, we can track them down?"

"... While I will not deny that it's an arduous task, shouldn't there be some sort of pattern in their attacks?" Susa stroked his chin as he eyed the static on the screen. "There should be some sort of aim in their attacks; like, for example, to assassinate the leader or some sort?"

"I will not exclude that as a possibility. But unfortunately, it seems as though the attacks are happening at random." Harasawa sighed in frustration. "There's an attack in Shinjuku, Ginza, even outside of Japan such as Egypt, America, and so on. I'm really sorry, but I can't see any connection to it. Would anyone like to enlighten us further on how we can approach this?"

There was a collective silence that resonated in the ears of the room's occupants.

"... I see."

Suddenly, Momoi shot up from her seat, dragging her chair back with a noisy groan. Her intense gaze was fixed at the monitor of her laptop. Her lips were pursed, and the look on her face was one that could not be taken lightly.

"Harasawa-san," she announced, her voice laced with graveness, "I received a voice message from Interpol, Rakuzan branch. They've sent this out to the rest of the police branches in the whole Japan area." She hurriedly walked to the front, grabbing the audio cable and plugging it into the USB port of her laptop. With a single click, there was shallow breathing that echoed out from the speakers. All the officers held their breaths, awaiting whatever things that could happen next.

"I-If it was sent to every single police station, i-it must b-be serious!" Sakurai stammered as he leant forward, his folded arms barely supporting his shivering body weight on the table.

"... Yeah, I know, Sakurai."

There was more static, then the raspy breathing of someone filled the room.

 _"Ehehe..."_

"?!"

 _"Interesting... It's such a drag to watch you police mice scurrying about and trying to locate us Fukuda Sōgō."_ There was hysteric laughter, which immediately threw the officers off their composures. Wakamatsu leapt up in rage, but Imayoshi swatted a hand before him, signaling him to stop and listen first.

 _"You will never be able to stop up, even if you weaklings try so hard! AHAHAHA!"_ More ragged breaths that gave off deafening static noises from the speakers. _"Hey, little police officers, how about we play a game? I'll give you a little clue; I'm swanking my plentiful life right now at Paris, where the Eiffel Tower is such a beauty, and where I can bone all the busty women I want!"_

"That bastard!" Aomine growled, the recorder's voice grating on his ears painfully. Who dared to talk about busty women right before him?! And in such a dirty manner, in fact... He then slapped himself mentally, cursing himself for thinking of such things while currently dealing with a potential threat to the world at that moment. Besides, he already has Kise, and that's all it should matter...

 _"I'll let you in on a secret... we're going to have a little fun right here. In Paris. Maybe you'll see the tower fall like the London Bridge!"_

More hysteric laughter.

 _"Or maybe a small bird would fly past from Paris to Tokyo! And then when you realise and try to salvage the situation, you will never know..."_

Without saying anything, Momoi swiftly flipped her notebook open, immediately jotting down notes at a furious speed. Her focus was unwavering, and the friction from her pen was almost burning the lined paper.

 _"...the Kantei might just go... 'boom'! HAHAHAHA!"_

Susu and Harasawa listened intently, not making any movements. However, their widened eyes of pure shock and horror were more than enough. The terror of the threat that descended upon Tōō's police force was one not to be reckoned with, not to be taken lightly. They had seen too much, heard too much to even think otherwise. This was clearly a serious threat; and it was more than crystal to even point out that they were being mocked at. And for that very reason, even Imayoshi. the most sly of them all, was starting to feel very pissed.

 _"Fufufu... Try all you might, but you will fail."_

Aomine's trembling hand gripped the edge of the table tightly as he held his breath, tensely waiting for the finale.

 _"I look forward to the day where I can paint Japan with the beautiful crimson of higanbana."_

* * *

 ** _Translations:_**

 _Kantei : Refers to the residence of the President of Japan_

 _Higanbana: Refers to 'red spider lily' - the flower of death in Japan_


	2. mixed breath

A/N: ... 6k words for you guys

I wasn't expecting it to be THIS long oh my gosh I really didn't! I hope I wasn't rambling too much in this chapter! (In fact I even wanted to write _more_ but that'll be for the next one... after seeing the word count on .)

I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! One more to go! ;w; -Yumi

* * *

 **Last Breath (Aomine x Kise)**

 **Part 2 - _mixed breath_**

* * *

And then, with a final shriek of laughter, the line immediately went dead.

Everyone stared intently at a single focal point at the front; even though there was nothing there, it seemed as though the man who spoke in the recording was standing there himself, smirking at them with a crazed look, and ridiculing them right there and then. Momoi then shattered the pregnant silence with a small cough.

"... Everyone," she declared, "I've run the recording through a few identification tests earlier on while we were listening, and forwarded my speculations to Rakuzan Interpol as well. The results came back positive." She then tugged at the large black cable and connected it to her laptop, allowing her monitor to be blown up on the screen. With a few clicks, a picture, passport-sized, had popped up onto the screen. Spiky hair, gray-coloured, but what Aomine disliked most of all was the disturbing smirk of triumph on his face.

"Haizaki Shōgo," the pink-haired secretary started. "Racked up at least a hundred and over police reports when he was still in his teens, but still managed to get away scot-free. No one has ever really seen him since five years ago, so his current appearance os most likely different from what we have, here." With her pen, she tapped the screen with its cap, pointing at the grayish spiked hair that the criminal was sporting. "Based from the recording we've just heard, I think we can safely assume he's the leader of Fukuda Sōgō. Not only lecherous, but also very rough and violent, judging from his tone in the voice file."

"U-Uh, Momoi, too much information."

Momoi casually ignored that passing comment, flipping her notebook open without hesitation. "I've made a few inferences from the voice file. The first, being of course, that Fukuda Sōgō's next target is most likely Paris, or even anywhere near it. I will forward this discussion to Interpol and leave it to them to decide what course of action to take." She then looked up at them with a grave look. "The second, from ' _small bird would fly past from Paris to Tokyo'_. I think it's quite clear that Fukuda Sōgō's ultimate aim is the Kantei, which so happens to be located in our region. This is just assumptions, but I think what they're planning is an aerial attack, like for example, dropping a bomb straight from above."

"I-In that case, don't we have to dispatch some means of security to p-p-protect the President?" Sakurai stammered. "A-At least they can keep an eye on the s-surroundings-"

"I doubt it'll work." Aomine exhaled sharply as he leant back, perching his legs on the table. "If the attack is from above, any forces on the ground is literally useless."

"Y-Yes, I'm s-s-so sorry!"

"Then, let's contact the air forces, at least?" Imayoshi suggested. "Their speciality is in the air; I don't see why it wouldn't be a viable option." He folded his arms, lowering his head as a sign of thinking deeply, before his head snapped upwards.

"Hold on."

"What is it, Imayoshi?" Harasawa raised an eyebrow. "Do you have something else?"

"Fukuda Sōgō... has carried out aerial attacks before, right? They've hijacked planes and killed innocents, including themselves, by crashing the planes into buildings. It's literally mass murder."

In sudden realisation, Aomine immediately looked up at his head sergeant at the mention of 'planes'. Immediately, someone very familiar flashed in his mind. Eyes slowly widening, he suddenly felt as though panic was trying to swallow him up whole as his heart began slamming itself against his chest, threatening to burst out of his chest if he did not calm down.

Wakamatsu's breath took a hitch. "Are you saying..."

 _Planes. A pilot._

"... I see now." Harasawa frowned, a troubled look crossing over his face. "I hate to admit, but yes, there's a possibility that they would consider that approach as well. Not only will the mass murder instill fear, they'd have achieved their goal if they are able to change the plane's route so that it wouldn't be heading back to the airport, but towards the Kantei instead." He pressed a hand to his forehead, closing his eyes and trying to even out his somewhat erratic breathing. "It's going to be very troublesome..."

 _No, no, no!_

Almost frantically, Aomine jolted out of his seat, slamming his hands on the table.

 _This cannot happen!_

"Contact all the fucking airlines in the Tokyo region right now!" he barked, his voice launching itself like a rocket and exploding as it collided against the wall. Wakamatsu swore under his breath at the profanity, and Sakurai looked completely startled and bewildered. Realising what he had just done, Aomine slunk back into his seat, lowering his head in shame before his superiors. "... Sorry, I shouldn't have burst out like that," he mumbled apologetically.

Imayoshi reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. The look in his eyes was overshadowed by the thick lenses of his spectacles.

"No, it's alright," he spoke with a mysterious smile, his Kansai dialect barely grating on his ears. Aomine always found it somewhat annoying, but decided to shrug it off. "In fact, we were going to do just that."

"Then, Momoi, I trust you know what to do?"

Momoi nodded. Gone was the everyday smile in her fuchsia eyes. They had work to do, and no one could afford to slack off. "Understood, Harasawa-san."

The superintendent nodded back in acknowledgement. "Well then, all of you are now dismissed. If we want to get down to the root of this problem fast, I reckon we'll have to work overtime. Aomine, I'm not sure if you can handle it since you've been forcing in overtime hours much more than the rest of the force recently - "

"I'm fine," the tanned officer snapped harshly as he stood up from his seat, rubbing his sore neck. His voice was rough, but the slight hint of terror on his face said otherwise. "Just give me whatever work you have. I'll be just fine, Coach." He purposely dragged the last word in his sentence, which seems to have effectively put Harasawa in dismay. Then, pivoting on the heel of his left foot, he sauntered out of the room, ignoring Momoi's protests in the background and used his leg to kick the door shut. When the air was finally dormant with silence, he exhaled sharply and leant against the wall, shadowing his eyes with his hand.

"... I'm such an idiot," he mumbled, his voice barely audible.

To think that of all kinds of people, pilots would be the one put at highest risks from now on. In just a matter of seconds, his life had made a complete U-turn, threatening to destroy itself and leaving absolutely no traces behind. Funny, how sometimes life and its cruelty wanted to make him laugh in foolishness, wanted to make him cry in anguish; he wasn't even sure what else to do anymore.

Within only a few moments, he had unknowingly been left behind by the fast-paced flow, leaving him to fear for the safety and well-being of this one single person.

 _The only one pilot idiot that he knew and love._

 _Kise Ryōta._

He had made up his mind to protect him his entire life, and even swore that before him. But knowing his stubborn attitude, if he ever gets wind of this situation, there was no changing his mindset. And when he starts insisting that staying away from him would be for the better, his world would shatter into millions of fragments, unable to be fully healed ever again.

 _He could leave me._

* * *

"Harasawa-san," Susa started off. "Are you sure it's fine to leave Aomine like this? He seems... as though he's being pulled down by stress."

The superintendent sighed in resignation as he fingered his curly hair. To have Aomine calling him Coach was completely uncalled for. Having been his superior for a little over a year now, he had grown accustomed to Aomine's initial harsh attitude when he was assigned to be his trainer in the police training school.

"Leave him be," he said quietly. "He actually works exceptionally better under stress. But don't go around doing anything that might agitate him." He leant against the table, eying the five remaining people in the room. "He'll literally beat the hell out of you until you become severely injured."

"Why does that sound like he's suffering an illness?" Imayoshi joked, a grim smile on his face. "Reverting back to old behaviour... It's like a withdrawal of something he's been hiding his entire life."

"You're over-exaggerating, Imayoshi," Momoi snapped as she flipped her notebook shut. "Dai-chan wouldn't be like that! I've known him since we were kids; there's no way he has an illness!" She exhaled deeply as she lowered her gaze, shuffling her feet. "He's always like that when something feels wrong; and it always happens in the end. I'd say it's more like he's trying to distract himself from reality; refusing to face the truth as it is. And it always worries me because who knows what he'll do when he's close to breaking, and I'm not there to watch over him?"

In that split moment when Aomine had left the room with a violent slam, Momoi instantly knew what exactly he was thinking about, and why he was so worried. There was only one person both of them knew. This person whom she had met while visiting Aomine, before she chanced upon 'Tetsu' outside the convenience store while shopping for popsicles with the latter.

This person, she had believed, could light up Aomine's life. It could go beyond her expectations, and perhaps Aomine could even have a promising future with this man.

But now, when the omens were brooding just above their heads, threatening to split the sky into half with a thunderous bang, the 100% certainty she had was now reduced into lingering ashes.

"Momoi, you seem to be very close to him," Wakamatsu commented with a frown, "if you know him to that extent."

"Well, of course! Childhood does have its benefits!"

The secretary's eyes flared up just for a brief moment, before being overshadowed by a curtain of worry once more as the image of a certain blonde lingered at the back of her mind.

 _Ki-chan..._

"I just hope... he'll be able to get through this."

* * *

"Aaaaahhh! I'm _beat_!" Kise whined, obviously exhausted, as he slumped onto the swivel chair in the office, fanning himself with his beret. "I didn't think there'd be a turbulence! A _clear air_ one, to be exact! Gosh, they're such a _pain_ to deal with!"

"At least we made it out alive," Kasamatsu snapped as he dragged the blonde pilot out of his seat, and pulled his heavy weight across the floor, much to his dismayed chagrin, "and no one got severely hurt. Be happy we even survived that one. That clear air turbulence was stronger than the one we've seen the last time round." He stopped to ponder about something for a while. "... Probably humans and their antics again," he added with an concluding grumble of annoyance. Letting go of the blonde, he thwacked his forehead with his finger, causing the latter to cry out in sharp pain.

"Senpai, what the hell!?"

"Shut up! You looked so tense; it's annoying!"

"... Okay..." Kise then tilted his head in curiosity as he watched his senior turn around and continue walking forward. "But senpai, aren't we humans too?"

"... I have no comments."

" _Moooou!_ " Kise pouted, but it soon faded as he watched the doors before them burst open, revealing the rest of the main Kaijō crew; Moriyama, Hayakawa, Kobori and Nakamura. Surprised, he went towards them with a bright smile on his face.

"Senpai!" he addressed everyone with a grin. "What brings you here?"

"Kasamatsu, Kise!" Moriyama called out, a smile of relief on his face. "You two are okay! That's good!"

"Nothing much, just an annoying clear air turbulence," Kasamatsu mumbled, a vein literally surfacing on his face.

"C(l)ea(r) ai(r) tu(r)bu(l)ence? I want to go!" Hayakawa hollered enthusiastically, sharply puffing out air from his nose. His eyes almost seemed to be glittering with excitement... until Nakamura went over and slapped the back of his head.

"Don't get too fired up, idiot," the bespectacled male scolded. "You're crazy; wanting to go into something that could potentially injure you. It's getting really noisy, too," he added with a mumble, shooting his glance sideways.

"What?!"

Kise then coughed awkwardly, trying to break the tension between the two. "A-Anyway... what's going on? Why are all the four of you...?"

"Coach told us that we we(r)e supposed to b(r)ing you two to the meeting (r)oom ASAP!" Hayakawa shouted aggressively, his speaking problem barely making his words understandable. "Said we sp(l)it up and cove(r) eve(r)y single a(r)ea of the w(or)ld ti(ll) we found you!"

"But so many people?" Kasamatsu sighed. Something was definitely off, and he wasn't keen enough to determine what it is. However, watching the vehement expressions on his crew's face made him think otherwise.

"... There's an urgent meeting," Kobori started off, his face ever so serious. "Takeuchi-san wants everyone to gather right now. He gestured towards everyone to follow him as they made their way towards the meeting room, which stood just before them with its glass doors widened with an uneasy welcoming aura. "Apparently, there's new intel of Fukuda Sōgō coming directly from Rakuzan Interpol. From what I heard, the information... concerns us, so he wants us to be there ASAP."

* * *

...

"... And that sums up the information that Tōō, plus other police forces, has gathered," Takeuchi concluded as he switched off the powerpoint presentation, eyeing the speechless expressions on the faces of the Kaijō main crew. He pursed his lips ever so slightly. There was never a time where this crew, that he had led for at least three years, was as serious as this.

Not until today, at least.

He opened his mouth, about to ask if there were any questions, but decided against it in the end. Instead, he closed his eyes and sighed. "Then, I'll pass the lead to Rakuzan now. They've specially came here to give us more insights about the situation." At the mention of Rakuzan, everyone's ears perked up almost instantaneously.

"Rakuzan?"

"Why would the higher ups be here?"

The murmurs swelled up and died away as five figures began to emerge from the shadows. They assembled themselves in a straight line, standing before the presentation screen. Despite dressing in merely yukatas, all five visitors sent massive chills down Kise's spine, instilling a strange feeling within him...

 _What is this uneasiness...?_

All five of them seemed perfectly normal, maybe a little domineering, perhaps, but when they stood in front of the crew, it was as though they were five large towers, their silhouettes overshadowing them, as though they were threatening to collapse on them any second.

 _... Fear?_

He swallowed nervously as he watched the man in the middle; an individual with striking red hair and piercing ruby eyes, step forward. The said man then bowed forward, concealing his face with the shadows, with the other four following after his footsteps soon after.

"Greetings." The crimson-haired male then stood upright once again, and so did the other four. Just by this simple gesture alone, Kise could have sworn he had seen an aura of regal scarlet materialising, but that came to pass when the man began to speak again.

"I am Akashi Seijūrō, representative and current President of Interpol's Japan branch, Rakuzan." Akashi then beckoned towards the other four with a discerning nod. "These are my subordinates, whom I've been working very closely with, especially in respect of the recent cases concerning Fukuda Sōgō." Shortly, Akashi's companions stepped forward, each bearing a whole aura of their own; as if each of them were beasts of a kind.

"Hayama Kōtaro!" A man of average build, with hair of a shade of yellow seemingly as warm as the morning sun.

"Nebuya Eikichi." A dark-skinned monster of muscle, who could easily give off the impression of a dominating beast.

"Mibuchi Reo." One of slightly long hair, of a lean build. Something about him made him seem suitable of a motherly figure.

"... Mayuzumi Chihiro." A mysterious figure with an almost unnoticeable aura, with eyes as clear as water, to the point that one could see oneself's reflection in those cryptical eyes of his.

Once the introductions were done, Akashi merely stepped back. "I will let my subordinates brief you on the current situation that we are currently facing." The other four of Rakuzan stepped forward, their reference materials already ready in hand. Mibuchi then looked up and spoke, in a smooth sophisticated voice that almost seemed to be able to make people slip and fall onto their feet just by hearing it.

"We have been on the heels of Fukuda Sōgō ever since their appearance a year ago, but their recent frequent attacks have ironically made it even harder to track them down due to the much more meticulous planning of their attacks. In addition, with almost every attack, the members involved would kill themselves in the process as well." As he said this, he whipped out a notebook; a traditional stitched bound book of a brilliant deep blue, and began to flip through it delicately and carefully, as if the book itself was a priceless treasure. "I believe you know the reason why their manpower suddenly increased in the recent months."

"... Haizaki Shōgo," Kasamatsu finished with a troubled frown.

Mibuchi nodded with a small smile. "Correct. Before Haizaki's appearance, Fukuda Sōgō only engaged in robberies and on some occasions, shootouts, but nothing more. However, after Haizaki joined, there was also a sharp increase in the member count of Fukuda Sōgō, and the terrorism acts they carried out escalated in terms of scale as well. In addition, suicide bombings were also included; basically, the perpetrators involved kill themselves by attaching bombs onto their own bodies and activating them and leaving behind no evidence. Only _bloodbaths_ remained at the crime scene." His face contorted a little in sheer disgust as the word 'bloodbath' twisted its way out of his mouth.

Mayuzumi looked up, emotionlessly with his blank eyes. "We have already informed the higher ups about the situation. While we have just sent out reinforcements to the Kantei as a safety measure, however, we cannot let our guards down. Tōō's force has concluded that aerial attacks are possible, which includes plane hijacking."

"But doesn't that mean we'll have to stop flying if such a dangerous threat is present?" Moriyama remarked, confusion and anxiety evidently written on his face. "What about our pay? What about the pretty girls who want to fly across the seas?" Somewhere in the background he could hear a series of groans, but he chose to blatantly ignore it.

"We have sent out muscled drones to monitor the situations in the sky," Nebuya answered with a big grin of pride. "... _Normal_ drones, I mean," he corrected hastily when the entire Rakuzan crew merely glared at him. He cleared his throat awkwardly, before continuing, "Although Rakuzan has actually long assumed this possibility since some time ago, there has been no irregular activity detected for quite a while now. However, if there's no recent cases of any hijacking or any other aerial activity, then it's most likely Fukuda Sōgō will make their move very soon."

"Treading the waters..." Takeuchi murmured to himself while glancing at the five in all due respect. "... Just like shogi, huh?"

Hayama then hopped forward, blatantly exhibiting his cheerful demeanor. "I really want to say that everything will be alright because of the lack of threats in the air as of late. However, we know that's not true." As he said this, his expression immediately changed into a grave one, the snaggle tooth now serving a completely different purpose. He swiftly flipped through his materials, quickly singling out a sheet of paper to read from. "Should you ever encounter them during flight, do not panic. And I really mean it. Do _NOT_ panic, even if the situation is really urgent. Remember to keep calm. Contact the airlines headquarters through the speaker as soon as you possibly can to inform them about the situation."

"We have requested for Interpol forces to be alert should such cases take place. That way the nearest region can take action and rush to aid as soon as possible." Mayuzumi frowned, the small creases destroying the smooth facade of his being as he spoke, his words scattered across the floor like fragments of broken glass. "It's not a very wise decision, because it could take a while, or even _forever_ if there are any technical difficulties, to reach the affected area. What's worse, is that we don't have enough men to deploy to the more deserted areas due to the recent cases of corruption and embezzlements within the headquarters itself. Many people were arrested and some even escaped, and because of that our numbers have dwindled."

"However, the fact that Fukuda Sōgō is one of the most dangerous world threats still remains," Nebuya commented with a dry smile. "No matter what happens, we'll still be hot on the trail of this particular group. Stay alert at all times. As Hayama mentioned, you need to stay calm should the threat arises. Contact HQ ASAP, and we will do our best to advice you accordingly while dispatching reinforcements to the aircraft. We need you guys to keep the tracker on your planes intact at all times. Whatever happens, try your best to _not let it be damaged_ by any means. Accidents do happen, but the current situation requires you to be much more cautious right here, right now."

"Interpol and HQ will be working very closely with regard to Fukuda Sōgō," Akashi declared with a tone of finality. "In addition, taking their recent cases of suicide bombings into account, we can safely say that their numbers have greatly diminished. Who knows, we might just meet the head herder and strike the jackpot. Nevertheless, the gravity of the situation remains, so please be cautious at all times." He then stepped forward, beckoning the other four to follow behind him. "That is all. Should there be any enquiries, just direct them to our database."

The Kaijō crew then stood from their seats, receiving the notion that Rakuzan's briefing was now over. As the lights gradually brightened up, both sides bowed, showing their utmost respect for the other party.

"Thank you very much."

* * *

"Sei-chan, did I miss out any important points?" Mibuchi asks, once the five had left the room and started walking towards the exit.

"Even if you did, I would have addressed them myself," Akashi replied with a smile. He then turned to face the other four. "Good work, everyone."

"Reo-nee, your jaw is dropping again!" Hayama howled in hysterical laughter as he pointed at the said male's expression of shock, much to the latter's chagrin. "Do you always get so flustered over Akashi's praises?"

"No, it's just that... Sei-chan doesn't praise every so often, so..."

"YOSH!" Nebuya hollered with triumph as he pumped both fists in the air. "Ain't we glad we finished another speech! Just a few more airlines to go!" He proceeded to slap Mibuchi on the back, but the latter dodged his hand easily, throwing him into dismay. "Mibuchi, why did you avoid me?!" he cried out.

"Because yours hurt! I don't want my tender skin to rupture!"

"Tone it down, everyone," Mayuzumi commented, his normally stoic face cracked by a vein of annoyance popping out of his face. "We're still in Kaijō territory. Ishida is still waiting for us outside. We don't want to keep Shirogane-san waiting back at Rakuzan."

"Right..."

As the doors opened, Ishida, a man of average build and chestnut-coloured hair, greeted the five with a bow. Before them, the slick smooth limousine awaited the five on the roads.

"I've made sure that the car remained intact," Ishida said with a usual stiffness, "as usual. How did it go?"

"Smoothly, thank you."

"T-That's great... Shirogane-san will be... very pleased."

"Indeed." From the corner of his eye, though it was subtle, Akashi noticed Ishida tensing up and unusually fidgeting, much to his amusement. A smirk graced his lips as all five of them entered the vehicle. Being their personal usher, Ishida sat down at the row of seats just behind the five of them. As the engine roared to life with a soft purr, Akashi looked out of the window, smiling to himself, as if there was an infinite amount of pleasure awaiting him back at Rakuzan, ready to satisfy him, ready to quell his desires.

 _Found you._

* * *

No sooner when the door closed with a soft click did Kise finally speak up, breaking the pregnant silence that befell upon the main crew.

"So... we can't really fly anymore?"

Kasamatsu then made his way towards the blonde, and proceeded to slap his hand against his head, much to Kise's dismay.

"Senpai, what on earth - "

"Were you not listening to the briefing earlier on, you freaking idiot?!" The senior pilot gritted his teeth, his furious voice grating against Kise's ears. He sighed as he stepped back, looking at the reference materials left on the table before them. "We... _should_ be safe, since our flight crew are experienced, sort of. I think we've been in situations too many to not expect this coming." His breath hitched upon mentioning 'should'; something Kise knew that even as captain of the crew, Kasamatsu was not all that confident in their survival rate either. He stood up, hiding his face from everyone else in the shadows.

"I'm going to the toilet," he announced. From the corner of his eyes, he could barely see his subordinates frowning at him, as if they knew what he was going to do, and wanted to stop him but decided to let him be.

Takeuchi slowly nodded, his face still stiff from the long briefing. It was clear as day that even he was worried about the well-being of Kaijō Airlines. "Come back soon, though. I'll be addressing everyone shortly about our upcoming flight schedules."

"... Roger."

Once the door closed behind him, Kise made a mad dash for the toilet, swerving into a cubicle and slamming the door shut, but not before the tears began to run down his face. He slumped onto the floor, hugging his knees and burying his face into them. The information that was just presented to him was still unable to register itself fully in his mind.

He had known Fukuda Sōgō was a potential threat to the world, but upon knowing that airplane hijacking was possible as well, his entire world simply got crushed into nothingness. The thought that could destroy him completely still haunted his soul.

 _I could die._

Tōō Police Force... He wondered how Aomine had reacted to this situation when the higher-ups had raised this issue. A small laugh twisted its way out of his quivering lips as his entire figure trembled with fright.

Both of them had never kept anything, not even secrets, from each other. They were open to anything and everything, and told everything they knew about each other. But now...

Aomine would most likely hide the fact that he could die from this from him, because he was the kind of person who did not want to make him worry. He was that type of idiot who insults more often than not and made no hesitation to display his violent streak, but actually had a tender heart when it came down to it. Kise, on the other hand, was the kind of person where he did not want anyone to fuss and worry over him, because he always believed the amount of attention he receives was completely unnecessary, and adding on to that unfortunately pretty face of his, honestly it could get frustrating at times.

He knew very well that both of them, for the first time, would keep something from each other. It would be the start of many more...

And then...

 _The trust between them might fade away._

As much as he hated it, he wished he could just vanish from this cruel world, here and now. Fate had forcefully set this turn of events into place, and he knew it would be inevitable if he was destined to die. Long ago, he had decided to not be a burden to Aomine as much as possible. But given this situation, if he really did genuinely care for him, there was no way he wouldn't stop worrying about him. And when his patience finally cracks, his world would most likely shatter into millions of fragments, unable to be fully healed ever again.

They would no longer be able to see things eye to eye anymore, and...

 _He could leave me._

* * *

As usual, Aomine returned home in the wee hours of the morning, once more tired and fully spent. He was about to collapse onto the more than inviting L-shaped sofa, when he caught sight of a certain blonde sprawled on the leather material, clinging tightly to a black cushion and with a slightly damp towel carelessly draped around his impeccable figure.

Part of him wanted to wake him up and call him an idiot for not sleeping with proper blankets, but the soft sounds of sniffles immediately shook him completely wide awake, completely free from his exhaustion, if not temporary. He looked around to check if he was hallucinating, but then realised, with a painful pang to his heart, that they were actually coming from Kise himself. Frantic, he rushed over to the blonde to check if he was alright, and heaved a small sigh of relief when it turned out he was just asleep.

They say one is most vulnerable when one is asleep, and that your face would be as clear as water while in the midst of a slumber, but Aomine would have gone for the opposite in this case. He sat on the carpet, his face level with Kise's closed eyes, and watched his chest rise and fall; a sign that he was still alright, alive and breathing. Without a word, he absent-mindedly brushed his fingers against Kise's cheek, his touch as gentle as if he was handling an invaluable treasure, and abruptly stopped halfway as his skin came into contact with a foreign wetness.

 _Sweat?_

He inched closer to inspect his newfound discovery, before the truth dawned upon him, causing him to wither away slightly in shock.

 _Tears. Kise was crying._

Startled, the policeman bent forward in an attempt to check if Kise was hurt anywhere. When he found nothing, he frowned in annoyance, before reality materialised in his head once more.

 _Of course... Fukuda Sōgō._

He had been seriously thinking about what to say to Kise on his way back from the station. How he should break the truth to him, as gently but as realistic as possible. However, after seeing Kise like this, whatever possibilities he had in mind simply vanished into thin air, null and void.

"Aominecchi... don't leave me..."

He should have known. Kise had already gotten wind of the situation, and he was obviously not taking it well either. That one small whimper of fear was more than enough to stab a dagger into his heart. Troubled, Aomine rested his head on the leather material, running his fingers through soft yellow locks illuminated by the thin streams of moonlight peeking in from the covered windows.

 _What would I do without you?_

Sometimes, he felt Kise was too much of an idiot sometimes; always worrying about others but not himself. He hated any fuss made over him, but he tended to fuss over anyone else but him, himself and he alone. If he were to be harbouring this entire burden on his own, he would most likely hide it from everyone else and act as if he were just fine.

 _But I know you better than anyone else. And vice versa._

How long he had stayed there just like that, just by his side and listening to his soft breaths; a small but significant sign that told the world he was still alive and living? Even he did not know himself. He silently watched Kise sleep on as the hours rolled by, without knowing he had already started to drift towards sleep once more.

* * *

Kise's eyes slowly fluttered open, just in time to meet Aomine's sleeping face. Startled, he jerked up just a little, before noticing his large tanned hand was tightly clasping his own. Upon seeing this sight, the pilot sighed with a foolish smile.

 _Same old, same old..._

He sat up, only to find a thick comfy cotton blanket slowly sliding off him. Raising his eyebrows in surprise before realising what had happened, he gently pried his hand out of Aomine's grasp, and draped the blanket over his crouched figure. A thin smile graced his lips as he flexed the fingers that the policeman was clinging onto so tightly.

 _... So he's worried._

Of course anyone would be. Who wouldn't, after knowing they had a possibility of abrupt, sudden death? His fingers stroked the short tufts of Aomine's midnight blue hair, strangely wondering if he came from a unique lineage. No one could be so immensely tan and have a strange (yet attractive) hair colour since birth, right?

"There's so many things I wanted to do with you, Aominecchi," he whispered to himself, his voice barely audible. "Like meeting your family, going overseas for a honeymoon, sorta..."

 _What would you do without me?_

Sometimes, he felt Aomine was too much of an idiot sometimes; always acting tough and mighty and arrogant when he knew better. Always calling him pretty boy, saying the only one who could win him in anything was him, himself and he alone, and always, always telling him to stay away from things that didn't matter to him. Sometimes, he refused to accept things that didn't go his way, but he did, eventually. But what about now? What if he was faced with something that could never be salvaged ever again?

 _But you know me better than anyone else. And vice versa._

It wasn't long before he forcefully tore his eyes away from Aomine with heavy reluctance, the silent tears furiously running down his cheeks.

* * *

The dim lights flickered as the midnight oil began to burn slowly, but steadily. The scratching of pencil against paper was the only sound resounding in the distance as they spent their time in solitude, shrouded in darkness. A single question haunted them like a vengeful spirit in their heads.

How many days has it been, since they last shared the same breath in the same room?

 _I wouldn't know... it's been real hectic at work lately. I've been too worried about Kise and Fukuda Sōgō to even care about shit like this anymore._

Days had passed, with interaction between both waning. They had been so busy... so busy with dealing with their worries and their lives, and the very root of it, that they couldn't have even a single second to see each other in the eye.

 _Aominecchi always comes back home late now... He always comes in just when I wake up. It's distressing to know he's losing sleep just like that._

And it didn't stop there.

 _I was so fucking frustrated with whatever shit was going on, that I even started hanging out at pubs to drink and flirt with all the women out there. I know I shouldn't be doing this, but they say alcohol whisks your worries away, right? God, I don't even know what am I doing this for anymore. My head is fuzzy and all I can think about is taking down Fukuda Sōgō._

Ice began to eat at the red string of fate that linked them together by the pinky. _Clink_.

 _Aominecchi has been coming back home drunk lately. He always collapses on the floor and smells of lady's perfume, and keep blathering things about how Fukuda Sōgō should go to hell, and drunkenly slurring insults at the same time. I understand, I completely do, but it's very worrying to know how this is actually affecting him..._

The ice greedily licked at their surroundings, freezing everything it touches...

 _Can we really continue to be together like this?_

With a small single prod, their surroundings, now brittle, immediately split into half with a deafening roar.

 _Crack_.

And just like that, everything starts to crumble down around them, disintegrate into particles, vanquished to nothingness. The link between them was no more. There was nothing else that could ever get both of them to see things on the same level ever again.

If they ever wanted to salvage that broken red string, they would never, ever be able to restore it fully just like before.

* * *

Five in the morning.

As if it couldn't get any worse, a once again drunk Aomine had collapsed on the floor, sending a porcelain vase tumbling down from its tabletop to its unfortunate demise with a piercing shatter. Kise had rushed to his aid, bewildered, anxious, _desperate_.

"Aominecchi! You need to get a hold of yourself! If you don't - "

 _Slap._

Kise widened his eyes in shock as the excruciating pain started coursing through his numb cheek. He held up a hand to the now swelling area, unable to register what had just happened.

 _Did Aominecchi just... hit me?_

The disbelief that rocked his entire body was nerve-wrecking as Aomine staggered on his two feet, his police uniform badly crumpled and stained with vomit. He nodded his head forward, shoving him backwards with strength so violent that Kise did not have enough time to react. He stumbled, and tripping on his own feet, his entire body crashed onto the floor. Fire sharply shot up his hand as the jagged edges of the broken vase fragments stabbed into his palm, drawing fresh blood.

 _He didn't understand why Aomine was getting progressively violent._

"You're such an eyesore!" Aomine spat haughtily in his drunken stupor, his arms limply swaying side to side from his shoulders, which staring at Kise with glazed eyes. "All you ever do is to get in my way! Do you really have nothing else better to do than to keep coming to my side and being annoying?!"

 _He didn't understand why Aomine was doing this._

"Always, always telling me redundant shit... and crying over the most stupidest things... Can't you do anything by yourself, you crybaby?!"

 _He didn't know if Aomine wanted him anymore._

And then, with quivering lips and teary eyes, Kise looked up at Aomine with a wry smile, his hand slowly numbing from the burning pain that ate at his senses. The question screamed itself in his head, and the answer was present in his head like a curtain hiding the window of truth, but he had to know.

"Does that mean, you don't want me anymore?"

Maybe it was the wrong move, asking a drunk person a question that was so important to him. But they do say that one's true colours are revealed when you get intoxicated.

He wanted to know. No, he _had_ to.

Aomine slumped onto the ground, his violence getting the better of his strength. He watched the blonde with hazy eyes, as if he was unable to comprehend what was happening, but somehow knew at the same time. His lips opened, and Kise tensed, watching, waiting for that one answer.

"You can't even do shit by yourself... b..."

The moment those words fell upon his ears, Kise's hearing completely blocked itself out as his world shattered into fragments, never to be fully healed ever again.

He knew he was an annoyance. His insecurities had imprisoned him since the very beginning.

 _He did not hear Aomine say 'but I still love you, idiot.'_

He knew he couldn't do anything by himself. He had known that since a long time ago.

 _He did not see the tears running down Aomine's torn face as well._

He knew everything perfectly.

And yet... _the tears just kept flowing._


End file.
